Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-05-18
COSTLY ANCIENT BLADES.
Curiositics Worth Noticing.

Alongside the modern life-guard's s
sword, forty inches long, and the
| lighter infantry sword, thirty-three
inches in length, Messrs. Wilkinson dis
play many antique weapons, says the
Pail Mall Gazette. There are genuine
specimens of the famous Andrea Fer
rara, which were so priced in Scotland
in the old lighting days, and which are
now used to some extent 10y e officers
in the British army. The quality of
these swords show how little effect
time has upon good metal and sound
workmanship. Claymores hang on the
walls beside the formidable Lochaber
AK. A huge Swiss two-handed sword,
which it must have taken giant TO
WELD, did service in the fourteenth
century against the Austrians. Even
one of the famous Damascus blades is
in the catalogue. When TinUr Lung
conquered Syria in the beginning of the
fifteenth century he carried off all the
manufacturers of steel into Persia, and
their successors, having been dispersed
all over the east, are said to have lost
the secret Of making blades Of more
than ordinary quality, since which time
the manufacture of genuine Damascus
blades has declined, although there are
many limitations. With respect to the
genuine blades it must be remembered
that good deal of eXaggeration has been
INDUCED in. At the time when the
natives of the east were we'll acquainted
with the art of working in iron and steel
we. and indeed all Europe, were in
state OF perfect ignorance. When the
old Damascus blades were therefore
opposed to those of other countries they
were found to be infinitely superior in
temper and quality, and the eXtraor-
dinary prices that were offered and
paid for them (often as much as $500
sufficiently attest the estimation in
which they were held. In the present
day swords of equal or superior quality
are manufactured at one-hundredth part
of the cost. In some respects the b-St
even of our present light regulation
blades a.e at a Disadvantage wnen Op-
posed 10 the heavy curved eastern
cimeter, but they have the advantage
that they can be used for thrusting,
which, although unknown in eastern
swordSmanship, is by far the most
deadly form OF attack. \ European
cuts only or mainly from the wrist,
knowing that if he lifts the arm too far
from its position of guard he exposes
himself to thrust that would probably
be fatal. On the other hand, an east
ern swordSman, who seldom guards
himself with his sword, but is provided
with 4 shield and gauntletS to resist a
cut, has his sword ground as sharp rs a
razor and cuts from the shoulder only,
bringing into action all the strong
muscles Of the forearm and back, the
small hilt Of his sword allowing no play
whatever to the wrist. As 10 the
iowher or water OF the genuine Damas-
Gus blade this id attributable TO the na-
ture of the iron ore used and the method
of converting it into steel. The late
Mr.. Henry Wilkinson went thoroughly
into the question, and obtained speci-
mems of Indian wCotz or cake steel, and
proved by making blades from it that
the figure SO sought after existed in the
steel itself, and to he developed required
only the action of light and a chemical
called kuSeeS.
Among other curioSitles worth noting
is a fierce Mahratta weapon called
wakdah, or tigeE-olaw, which the user
holds in his hand, affixed by two rings
to his fingers. With 4 traitOrous en-
brace he clasps his victim and tears him
open. y knife penetrating a dollar is
4 reminder of the Old Spanish Luc-
cancers test Of the SoundneSS of his
blade, and proof of the quality of the
steel of the day.